Toggle switch



Dec. 2, 1924. 1,518,042

c. E. AVERY l i froGGLE swITcH Filed Nov. 20, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 asf Pleated. pas. 2,1924.-

'UNITED s TAfrEs Pis-.Tariffv oi-i=1cr.1.f

cHAELEsE. AVERY, oEEAs'r ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, nssrcnvror. 'ro Henneman ELECTRICAL s'orrLY COMPANY, INconronA'rEn, or JERSEY cI'lrY, NEW JERSEY, A

,CORPORATION MASSACHUSETTS.

TOGGLE SWITCH.

A Animation med November 2o, 192,2'. seriarivl 602,083,

To t may concern: .Be it known that I, C E. Avnxr,

a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at East Orange, 1n the-county f of Essex and State of New Jersey, have'in-,

-vented -new and useful Improvements of which the following 1s a ecification.

y invention relates particularly to what are sometimes called toggle or tumbler switches, and part'cula'rly tothe actuating -mechanism.

, The main object is to provide a simple but reliable'mecha-nism whlch can be readily made and easily 'operated andwhich issmall and compact.

Another object'is to' tion which can be assem of rivets. u

` Another object is to provide a construe# tion, many of the arts of which can be' interchangeably use for either a toggle switcher a push button switch.

rovide a construeled without the use In its preferred form the invention coif'i' templates the .use of a pivoted contact carrier to 'which is loosel hinged a throwing link., The actuatori's or cross bar and serves' to hold the other parts in .place in the`receptacle. This actua0v ator. is of s uch a nature that it can be readily attached to the bridge, which is also ada ted tobe usedin a push button switch, toge her with the other parts df the structure.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a switch embodying the improvements of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view and side elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same, 2 I

4D Fig. 4 is an'enlarged side view showing the contact carrier and the supporting frame,

Fig. `5 is a perspective view of the bridge and actuator,

n -Figl 6 is a side view of the same,

' Fig. 7 isa-bottom view oi the same,

Fi ,8 isa plan view of the blank from whic the bridge is formed, Fig. 9 is a detailed view of the escutcheon plate,

Fig'. 10 is a side view of amodiiied form of actuator,

, Fig. 11g-is an edge view of the saim'ashovv-v lstandar nged `to the bridgethe link 22, Vas shown inFig. 2. This rocker ing a section of the supporting bridge and r escutcheon plate.A The body or receptacle 12 may be formed of insulating material, such as porcelain or' molded composit onand contains the necessary stationary contact or contacts of suitable form suitably secured in place. 'j The movable 'r swinging switch member 13'is suitably'sec red to a carrier 14, which 'has pro'ectingbenrings 15 hung in the side s 16, which project 'from one end 65 o f the frame 17. This 'carrier is of U-sha e' and its bottom bar 18 swin between lthe standards `16 and the shoul ers ,19, which* serve as stops to limitthe throw of the car rier and movable switch member.

The frame 17 may be conveniently positioned within the receptacle,- for instance, means of the lugs such as 20 and-21 properly locatedl with respect .to the projec-V tions and recesses -within the rece tecla., The construction is such, however, t at'as will be hereinafter understood, no 'attaching screws are required for holding the frame in place.

Hinged loosely to the cross bar 18 is a: link 22', which' carries the spring 23. -This spring is. held in place on the link by a washer 24:, and the link is provided with lugs 25, which serve as stops #for the washer 24.- This washer 24 may also have one or more side. flanges 26 adapted-to en- .85 gage the edges of the cross bar 18, when the spring is fully compressed. f

Il-he actuating device consists of a lever or handle 27, and a rocker 28 suitably secured together as, for Ainst-ance, by the rivet heads 29. The rocker is providedwith outwardly projecting pivot pins 30 supported in lugsv 31 at the sides of the bridge 32. The brid e is slotted centrally at'33 and provided wi openings 33 The lever 27 cxtends through the slot 33 and the shoulders 34 on the rocker serve as stops which engage the lower face-of the bridge-as the actuator is swungfrom sideto side. The tip 35 of the actuating rocker preferably'rather sharp and adapted'to engage the washer btween the arms'of is also provided with a slot 36 to allow for means of the usual screws 3T.

'the movementof the arms of the link, as the actuator is swinging back and forth.

The bridge 32 is adapted to be suitahl)1 secured to the top of the receptacle' 12 in any suitable mnner,'as',for instance, by A. face plate, such as 38 is adapted to he secured iu the usual manner to the bridge, for instance. by means of one or more screws 130. In order to fill the central opening in the tace plate and provides finish forY the interior parts at the junction ot' the operating lever 27 and the bridge I l'irovif'lean eseutcheon place in the frame 17 aridthe frame in place in thereceptacle 12, without the need of any attaching screws, thus doing away with .l the necessity of sciews ordinarily employed for such purpose. The carrler and frame are so constructed that they can he readily assembled witholrtthe'nse of tools. Since no rivets or pins 'fare required, when the actuating lever. 2? s tilted, the rocker, of

` tact member` `the opposite tposition,analiv ing or breakmgthe circuit `as the lca'seimay" course, moves with i t and compresses the 'spring until the line o fcenters ls'passed,4v

whereupon tb `spring snaps the-switch' conbe. In cese the switch contacts should-stick, however, the flunge 26 of the washer 24 will be forced :igttinst the opposite Mge of the carrier'hnr 1S, after -the lugr passes beyond the center line and thus power will be directly applied from the hund through the rocker to start the movmncnt of the carrier, which once started will be completed by the kick ol the spring.

The rocker may be formed und connected to` the bridge h v bending over the ears or lugs 31. or thcl bridge cnrs muy be bent over and the rocker pins inserted h v spring# Y' ing the sides of the bridge apart. Sin'iilarly the rocker may he detached from the bridge and another bridge andpush button substituted, if desired.

Other forms ot :Yet-Hating levers and rockers may be employed. as indicated.' for instance` in Figs. 10 :and ll. where l have shown the rocker laying side plates 43 con? nected by the tip 44. In this case the side plates have outwardly extending pivot pins l 45 adapted tobe supported in the bridge.

' The lever 36 may be suitably secured to the rocker. for instance` byrivets 47 and 48. Other changes may be made in the' details of construction within the scope of my invention. f Y

I claim: 1. A switch receptacle, a frame mounted therein, a carrier detachably hinged to said frame, a link hinged at one cnd'to said carrier and having its opposite end slot ted, a spring and 4slotted washer` ont the slotted end of said link, a bridge, a lever and rocker hinged thereto 4and having a slotted arm en raging said washer and in the slot of said link.

2. A switch construction comprising,r a

wreceptacle open -at the front, a frame and contact carrier 'removably mounted therein..

a bridge detachably-secured to the front of said. receptacle indepepdentlyol.= said frame and carrier, and an actuating lever and rockercarried by said bridge and holding said carrierin place in 'saidframe 3. An lelectric switch yconstruction comprising a receptacle, a frame positioned therein, a swinging carrier mounted in said frame, a springr link secured to said carrier. a bridge detachahly,securedto said recup,-

tacle and an'ctuating leverl and rocker A hinged to said bridge and havingr an arm engaging said spring.l 1.link to operate `the sume and to'hold said crrier and frame in said receptacle.

Y4. An electric switch comprising a receptacle, a frame and swinging: carrier mounted .therein,` a. linkhinged to' said carrier, :i

washer andysprmg secured on said link. a

detachable bridge and a lever and rocker hingedto said bridge having.r :in arm engaging said link'- andwashe'r for operating the 'Sameand holding said vcarrier and-frame in position in' said receptacle'.

5. An' electricffswiteh:comprising a receptacle, a. frame removably mounted .therein, a carrier detachably hi ed. to said frame. 'a spring link connect d to said carlos rier 'and removable therewith, a' bridge de.

Atachahly secur'ed'to said receptacle. a. lever and rocker hinged to s aid bridge and removable therewith. sid rocker having' an arm engaging said link to operate the same and serving to hold said carrier yin said frame and said framein said receptacle.

6. fA'n electric switch comprising a reeep taele.' a frame mounted therein` e carrier detnchahly-hinged to saidirame, a, springr link hinged to said carrier.' a bridge detachablv sccured't'o said receptacle,- e lever and rocker hinged to said .bridge and detach# flible' therewith.' said rocker having an arm engaging said link to operate the same and serving through said spring.,r link to hold said carrier in said frame.

7. In a switch a 'receptacle open at the front. a frame' removably mounted therein,

va switch carrienrernovably and pivotally mounted in' said, fra'ine, a combined throwing spring and linkhgedly carried by said i ,sienes carrier, a bridge detaihably secured to the front of said receptacle, and a rocker and operating lever carried by 'said bridge, said rocker operatively engaging said link and holding said link and said carrier inplace, said bridge and rocker being removable independently of said carrier.

8. A U-shaped carrier, a link hinged to the cross bar thereof, a spring onsaid link, a washer on said link having a flange adapt ed to engage said cross bar to start the movement thereof, ahinged operating lever, and a ,rocker secured thereto and engaging said link and said washer to operate the carrier.

9. In aswitch a receptacle open at the front, a cross bar anchorage member detachably secured to the front tace of said recep tacle and having a central longitudinal slot and lugs `depending from the edges of said anchorage-member adjacent said slot, an operating member detachablv' pivoted in said ings and having a handle extendirnr through said slot and a switch member held in place by said operating member and re- `movable only when said anchorage member' is removed.

l0. A bridge for snap switches con-uprising a strip of sheet metal having apertures at its opposite ends adapted to receive means for securing the bridge to a Wall box, said strip-having a. pair ofscrew threaded openings near each end to receive face plate and receptacle screws respectively, and the center of said strip comprising opposed arcuate portions having apertures adapted to receive push buttons and said arcuate portions being connected by two central portions separated from one another to form an operating lever-receivirxgslot` said central portions having laterally extending ears forming bearings for said operating levert 1l. An interchangeable bridge piece for snap switches comprising a strip of metal having screw seats ior attachment to a receptacle, openings for push buttons, a cen tra] lever-slot connecting said openings, and bearing ears on opposite sides of said slot. '12. bridge having a slot and bearing members at the sides thereof, a handle `metric. slot receptive of an operating lever,

said plate having tivo curved opposed. extensions each of which terminates-in concentric `ears adapted to secure the plate to a bridge'piece.

15. n escutcheon plate Vfor switches comi i prising a dome shapedplate having a dia` metric slot receptive of an operating lever, and having tivo extensions terminating in ears adapted -to secure the plate to a br1dge piece.

1G. An escutcheon plate for a snap switch having a raised central portion with a lever receiving slot and a base ange terminating in two oppositely directed bend'able ears on each side of said slot.

17. An interchangeable bridge piece for an electric snap switch comprising a strip of metal having means for attachment t0 a receptacle and having a central levery receiving slot and openings for push-buttons at the opposite ends thereof and bearing lugs at opposite sides of the central slot adapted to support a rocker member.;

CHARLES E. AVERY. 

